Who is Nathan Fletcher?

Will the real Fletcher come forward?

Nathan Fletcher spent the entire second term in the Assembly elected by Republicans to represent their values in Sacramento and voted like he was a Democrat.

Then he tried to run as a Republican for mayor and threw a temper tantrum when his voting record was recognized by the county Republican Party and he was not given their endorsement. Because his ego would not let him step back from his candidacy and knowing it would be harder for him to win without the endorsement of the party, he claimed he was nonpartisan and an independent.

Now he says he was always a Democrat at heart and that his values actually agree with theirs, as they always have. Suddenly he has found his truth and his true calling — at least until his next revelation.

Scott Rieker

San Diego

Big jump in fast-food pay is a bad idea

My first job out of high school was at the first McDonald’s in Downey in 1957, and I was happy to get it. My high school sweetheart and future wife’s first job was at Foster Freeze. One of our son’s first jobs was at a Carl’s Jr. and our daughter worked at a Subway in Apple Valley. Learning those first job skills, responsibilities and self-reliance were vital to our future success.

We need to reign in the SEIU union, which is now organizing fast-food workers with the unconscionable notion of doubling their entry-level minimum wage. It will hurt the small-business franchises of McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell and all the others, and in the end will harm the workers, raise the cost of food, reduce jobs, and hurt low-income consumers who depend on low-cost meals.

Daniel B. Jeffs

Carlsbad

Burger toppings require skill

Frying a hamburger and putting it between two pieces of a bun is probably worth $8 per hour. Of course, if one factors in the high technological skill required in adding pickle, onion, lettuce and sauce, it may be worth $15 per hour.

James D. Lemon

San Diego

Right-wingers follow Fox

It’s amusing to see all the right-wing letter writers walking in lock step by regurgitating the Fox talking point in calling it the ’Democrat party.’ This expression is intended to be disrespectful but alas it is also ungrammatical.

Proof positive once again that Republicans don’t (and most likely can’t) think for themselves.

Ellen Brown

San Diego

Stoking fear in release of inmates

Jesus Montana, president of the local chapter of the Peace Officers Research Association of California, tries to inflame public opinion with his rhetoric (“Keep felons behind bars,” Op-ed, Aug. 30).

Thousands of unsupervised parolees will not be released from prison unless PORAC chooses not to supervise them. He also states a significant increase in crime in every community will occur. Thousands are released on parole monthly already — where is the increase in crime?

Lastly, I would challenge Montana’s view that children fear for their safety and are forced to bear an unfair burden. The burden is on California and PORAC, not children, to ensure public safety. Do not use your inability to solve adult problems as a premise to frighten children.

Bob Higgins

Rancho Bernardo

Idea for bikes and commuting

It doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat, Republican or independent — if you use our freeways at peak you will find yourself stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and with school now starting and the time change coming, it will only get worse.

Seeing a map for the “San Diego bicycle network” in a recent article (“Changing lanes for cyclists,” Aug. 12) spurred a thought. Why not have a fleet of express buses on the freeways equipped with bike trailers that roll every 10-15 minutes at peak and only have limited stops along the arteries. Bike riders could hop on and off depending on destination.

The bus could use the emergency lane if practicable during a clog. Beats having to watch the sad irony I see on the 52 almost every day — seeing one or more empty MTS buses with the destination sign saying “Not in Service,” like the rest of us stuck in the car conveyor.

We need better solutions for the environment and for our health, which would be a true win-win.

Matt Hickman

Santee

Better reporting of abuse urged

I wanted to thank reporter Aaron Burgin for the article (“District response to child abuse report blasted,” Aug. 21) on parents’ response to the San Diego Unified School District’s rebuttal to grand jury recommendations.

There is not one clear, easy-to-navigate link on any of our individual schools’ websites on how to report adult-to-student abuse, bullying or intimidation in our school district. Many of us San Diego Unified parents are now demanding the district administration to make this reporting process clear and transparent in every single school. We parents appreciate the interest and reporting on this urgent topic and are relieved to have Superintendent Cindy Marten recognize the need for improvement in our school district’s current policies to ensure the safety of its students.